Diary ~
Mille Seseau. I had spent a long part of my life here.
We pulled in at Fueno, the city of water. This was basically the opening to Mille Seseau, the place where you entered and exited. But the instant we pulled in Rose declared that there was something wrong, so Dart put us all on alert. It turned out that there was something wrong, a wolf that someone had been keeping for a pet had gotten loose and taken a little boy with it, disappearing into the forest. The mayor enlisted our help, so of course we had to help.
But no one told us that the wolf was gigantic! The size of it was suitable for Kongol to ride on. I remember nearly tripping over a tree root in surprise when seeing it. Yellowing teeth dripping with reddened saliva, and I was so shocked, I thought he had eaten the boy. But the boy emerged from the trees and ran off with the wolf, who seemed to obey him.
After defeating the wolf, Shana managed to return it to its normal state, the size of a large puppy, sending it and the little boy back to Fueno. When we returned to the forest, we got lost.
Yep, lost.
Embarrassing, is it not?
"Claire, didn't you mention that you had been in the forest before?" Father asked.
"I've been in the forest twice and found my way easily. I shouldn't be lost. But somehow we are."
Meru was giggling so hard I thought she was going to fall over. When asked what was so funny, she continued giggling and couldn't stop, finally jabbing Lloyd in the shoulder so that he could speak for her.
"She finds it hilarious that we're all lost, because she knows the forest like the back of her hand." Lloyd explained. "Honestly, I don't understand how you people can be lost. It's not so difficult. There are even pathways."
"You know the way?" Dart roared, furious because we had been wandering around for at least two hours and darkness was seeping in.
Lloyd and Meru exchanged a glance, and for the first time I saw Lloyd's playful nature. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because it was fun watching you scurry around without a clue!" Meru chirped, and she flew into the air, squeaking as Rose lunged for her neck. Rose had been a bit touchy lately because she was angry that she had gotten herself lost.
"It's getting dark and you know how dangerous it is to stay in the Forest at night!" Dart yelled. "What were you two thinking?"
"Calm yourself, kiddo," I told him in that motherly voice that never fails to work. "I'm sure they wouldn't just strand us with no place to go, am I right?" But when I looked at Lloyd he just sort of shrugged.
He didn't answer for such a long time that I kicked him and yelled, "You don't know?" But then he looked so sheepish that I couldn't follow up on ranting.
"Don't worry." Meru said, as she flew off. "Follow me. I've a place to stay."
It turns out that Meru led us to her forest, the one she had told Lloyd about. They weren't too happy to see her, saying that she had violated a sacred rule by leaving the forest, but she made a big scene and a Wingly named Guaraha went to get the Wingly in charge, the Ancestor Blano.
Oh yeah, Guaraha is her fiance! And she never told us! We're her friends and she never told us. When I confronted her about it, she just shrugged sheepishly and said that she forgot. How do you forget a fiance?
Although until that point I hadn't even told Lloyd my late husband's name. But I saw him talking to Rose the night before we arrived in the Forest. Maybe she mentioned Zieg. Or maybe they were arguing. Seeing as how she was scowling and he was shaking his head, I think so.
The Ancestor allowed us to stay for the night before we headed off again, and while most of the Winglies obeyed him without much grumbling, some of them just plain weren't happy at all to see us Humans here. We have to keep our weapons close at hand. Dart was almost attacked by a tall Wingly before Father and I jumped him from opposite sides and pinned him to the ground until his brother came and began to fight with us, at which point Kongol intercepted. I had always thought of him as a bit of a pacifist, despite his obvious fighting technique. It's just that he never really fought unless it was absolutely necessary, and never ever got involved in a bar fight or even a little skirmish as I often do.
Kongol ripped both brothers off everyone and dangled them in the air by the back of their collars, transforming into Dragoon when they tried to throw fireballs at him. He had discovered it in a cave in Tiberoa and after defeating its guardian, the cave's resident mutated slug, he inherited the Dragoon Spirit. The Wingly brothers weren't dazed by this, saying that Dragoons were nothing compared to Winglies. But both Rose and Lloyd were automatically snapping that the Dragoons had defeated the Winglies in the Dragon Campaign. Rose's words caused them to glare at her, but Lloyd's words made them freeze on the spot. They obviously recognized him. Mumbling an apology, they slinked off. I wonder why Lloyd is so well-respected in this forest that he has never been to?
Meru went to see her mother and father but then pretended not to know her, and completely ignored her. Seeing the pain in her eyes as she ran back to us, I walked up to the Winglies and let them have a piece of my mind. I guess I was pretty impressive because the man was standing shocked and the woman began to cry, and held out her hand to Meru.
I don't think they like me very much for yelling at them, but so what? It didn't matter if Meru wasn't the perfect daughter they had dreamed of. Dart's quick temper and stubborn streak didn't necessarily make him a saint but I loved him with all my heart and how Meru's parents could have turned their backs on her is a mystery to me.
That night I made sure I had my fighting gloves and then knocked on Lloyd's door. He opened it looking rumpled from sleep, with his hair falling into his face, and surprised to see me. I asked him to come out for a walk because I needed to talk to him. So, strapping the Dragon Buster to him, we walked out onto the rooftop, where it would be easy to spot any Winglies from attacking us.
"So what did you want to talk about?" he asked when we sat down for a while.
"I've something to tell you." Maybe not the best way to start it off.
"Oh, it's never good when a woman says that." Lloyd lay on his back and folded his hands under his head and looked at the stars with eyes that were shut tightly. "Let me guess…something to do with your husband?"
"How did you know I had a—oh stupid question, never mind." Of course he knows, idiot, you've a grown son!
"Uh huh. You ran into him again?"
"Not likely, as he's dead." My voice was dry as dust.
This caused him to sit up and look at me. "Sorry." I could have sworn that I had told him before, but maybe he just forgot.
"So am I. Don't worry about it. But no it doesn't have to do with Zieg."
He had begun to lay back down but he sat back up quickly. "What? What was your husband's name?"
"Zieg. Zieg Feld."
Lloyd ran his gloved fingers through the silk of his silver hair. "Dart mentioned his father's name was Feld, but I never thought it was the same person. I thought Zieg Feld died in the Dragon Campaign? Fighting a one-on-one against Melbu Frahma, the emperor of the Winglies?"
"I thought so too, but he was reincarnated or something. That's the only logical reason, since there's no way he could have lived for eleven thousand years. Rose only does so because of her choker, and my husband did not wear anything resembling that."
"Well…" Lloyd hesitated. "There's something I forgot to mention to you. He could if he was a Wingly."
"What?"
"Winglies, if properly trained and with a high enough magical level, can live thousands of years. And my father was a great scientist. He found a way to expand the life span of a Wingly. But because it was dangerous in the wrong hands, he used it only on himself, my mother, and I."
"So how old are you?" I asked tentatively.
"Um…let me put it this way. If I hadn't been hiding with my family at that time, I could have been an Original."
You can imagine how much of a shock that was to me. But I always fell for the older guys, right? I can't wait to tell Dart. He had been trying to dissuade me from taking an interest in Lloyd, saying that I was "much too old for him", seeing as how Lloyd appeared to be no more than twenty-somewhat. Wait until he hears that Lloyd is actually thousands of years older than I!
"Oh." I said to Lloyd, and then, "Was that why the two Wingly brothers shied away after seeing you? And is that why your magic is so powerful?"
"My magic and skills are powerful because of careful training, but yes, due to the length of my training. But that's not why the Bardels ran off. It's because my father is a well-renowned scientist, respected in all the forests. If anything happened to me, my father would…not be happy."
"Same as mine. And the same way I feel about Dart. I guess it's a parental thing."
"Your father hates me. He's all but challenged me to a one-on-one." Lloyd grinned. "Anyway, what was this big secret that you dragged me out here to listen to? About your husband?"
"I never said it was about my husband. You simply assumed that. But it does have to do with a man."
"Uh…you've met someone?"
"Yep." I couldn't help grinning like an idiot. But Lloyd insists that it was only a coquettish smile.
"Who is it? Anyone I know?"
"Yep." I replied again, then took a deep breath and said, "Setna vaharu."
I didn't have the right accent, but Meru—squealing and excited—had taught me how to pronounce the Wingly words enough so that Lloyd knew it as clearly as if I had said it in my own language, "I love you."
He sat as shocked as I had been when he told me his age and for a moment I felt my heart hanging above a void by a single silver hair.
But then Lloyd put one hand on my cheek and said, "Setna vaharu." I couldn't help smiling; he said it with much more grace than my clumsy pronunciations. "I think I loved you since that day you crashed into me in the arena and I showed you a hiding place from your father." His eyes widened. "Oh, your father isn't going to be happy with this. He's going to try to kill me, isn't he?"
"He probably will." I replied, all cheerful. "But I'll stop him before he can."
The rest of the night was spent snuggling under the stars—something I hadn't ever done with Zieg; he was so wrapped up in his studies—and talking quietly enough not to disturb anyone with an open window. I could imagine that Meru was sitting up, smothering laughter as she pictured what was happening. She's a teenager, she still has a perverted mind. Hmph. Well nothing like that was going to happen until everyone knew and I had a ring on my finger.
The next day we told the others. Officially.
There was the usual yelling and attempts at hitting from both males in my family, and screaming and laughter from the girls, aside from Rose and Albert, both of whom seemed to watch with cynical smiles.
But Father and Dart—the two who cared about me most and were opposed to this—had already long since knew of my feelings toward Lloyd, and whatever anger they had had just about played out by now. I could tell that they were actually relieved at this news because at least they knew it wasn't an unrequited love and that I would be hurt. So I guess they accepted it. Although Lloyd still squirms if Father walks by and gives him the evil eye.
The next day, thanking the Ancestor, we left for Deningrad. We were delayed when Guaraha begged Meru not to leave, but she said that she had to, she had to help her friends in getting the last Divine Moon Object. He was welcome to join us but she would not come back to the Forest.
Guaraha then launched into a debate about the rules of Winglies, which made Meru very upset until she started screaming at him and finally turned and ran toward us. But halfway there she paused and turned back, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his chest.
Stunned at her sudden changes in mood, he simply held her until she finished crying. She promised that she would come back after everything was done and perhaps then they could settle their debate about the rules and what would happen, and finally be wedded. Guaraha nodded at this, kissed her, and sent her off, warning us that if we didn't take care good care of her he would kill us. The angry light in his eyes proved it.
Meru sniffled for a while after we left her forest, but then she became the cheerful happy sprite that we all knew and loved.
When we reached a dirt path laid with quartz on one side, I knew the way. This was the path to Deningrad.
"I remember this path…" Dart said slowly, causing everyone to look at him. "Mom, were we ever here?"
"Yes, twice. The first time we fled from Neet to Deningrad, and the second time from Deningrad to Fueno. It's this path to the capital of Mille Seseau." I walked beside Dart, speaking with Shana about her strange powers, but she got upset so I stopped and spoke of Seles instead, and her parents.
Deningrad was just as beautiful as I remembered it from years ago. The Palace loomed over the town like a crystalline guardian.
The weather had become much cooler so we all bought fur coats to keep warm. As we left the fur shop, Albert crashed into a young woman that sat on the snow-covered ground blinking around her. She seemed delicate, flustering as she groped around her. When I knelt to help her I saw that her eyes were black and far away. I didn't know she was blind until a short blonde took her arm and described us to her.
"I am Sister Setie." The blonde told us. "This is Sister Luanna."
The second name was not unfamiliar to me. I looked at the blind girl. "Did you…did you live in Neet eighteen years ago?"
She gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "Come. Let us sit in the inn, and be comfortable as we talk."
The innkeeper didn't mind us using his sitting room, and from the way he looked at Luanna, it was no surprise. When we were all seated, she spoke again "Yes, I did live in Neet as a child. How did you know? Who are you?"
"My name is Claire. Do you remember me?"
"I think so. You were…you were married to the town scholar, weren't you? And you had a son. You came to see me when I first lost my eyesight."
"Yes, I was very good friends with your mother, Skia. Tell me, Luanna, how did you escape from Neet?" I noticed that Rose gave me an odd look. But, after all, she was the black Monster that devastated Neet, right?
"I don't know…it's a bit fuzzy in my memory." Her blind eyes looked heavenward. "I guess Soa spared me because I was supposed to grow up to be one of the Sacred Sisters of Mille Seseau."
"You wish." Rose said. "Soa cares nothing of your life."
Luanna gasped again. "You speak blasphemy!"
"I guess so. But that's not the reason that you were spared. You were blind then, right? The Black Monster doesn't have to kill anyone who doesn't see the Moon Child."
Setie narrowed her green eyes at Rose. "How do you know of this?"
Rose explained how she had been studying the patterns of the black Monster for a while, and then she told them the truth of the Moon Children. It took them a while for it to sink in, but they accepted it. It appears that Luanna received special powers during her life, sort of an inner intuition about things. She said that she knew we weren't lying. When she asked why we had traveled to Mille Seseau, Dart explained that we were here to help protect the last Divine Moon Object.
But as we left the inn, about to head to the palace, a shadow flew by, and the Dragoons all collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. When I looked up into the sky I saw a Dragon.
It didn't look at all like Feyrbrand or Regole. It was plated with silver scales and blocked out the sun as it flew by. It took a long time for its length to disappear from view. The Dragoons had been in pain, Rose explained, because that was the Divine Dragon, the king of all of them, and his power had caused enough of a backwash to stun them. She also said that the king of dragons had been put to sleep thousands of years ago because his power was too great but somehow he had awakened and now we had to put it back because it is too dangerous.
The two Sacred Sisters immediately brought us to the palace then, leading us through corridors that thrummed with power. The person on the throne was speaking in quiet urgent tones to a very tall woman with a shock of blonde hair and gray eyes that were just as sharp as blades.
The queen looked up as we enter and smiled. Her skin was the color of ebony but her eyes were pale blue. "Luanna, Setie. You're back. And you've brought visitors?"
"Yes, your majesty." Setie began to explain how we had met, and that we were here to help defeat the dragon. Luanna then told her that we were here to protect the Moon Mirror as well.
The tall woman standing next to the queen glared at us. "They don't look like much. How can they defeat the Dragon by themselves?"
"Miranda, please." Queen Theresa told her quietly, and the woman shut up as the queen continued. "How are you going to defeat the dragon? How can we help?"
Lloyd answered this question. "That Dragon is the most powerful one there is. But there are two tools that can be used against it. We have in our possession the Dragon Buster. It can be used to kill Dragons. When we catch up to it, I believe that we can kill it if we engage it in battle. Also, if we return to the Forest of Winglies, we can get the Dragon Block Staff, which will limit the dragon's powers and make the fight easier."
The queen pondered this for a while. "Very well. It seems logical enough. Let me make a deal with you then. If you defeat the Dragon I shall give you the Moon Mirror. Stay here for the night, and gather your supplies. You can leave tomorrow for the Forest of Winglies."
"I'm going with them." Miranda said, much to the surprise of everyone.
Dart asked her why and she smiled in pretended sweetness. "If you are going to defeat the Dragon, you'll want my help. And besides, if you're going to get the Moon Mirror, I have to make sure you people deserve it."
Somewhere in the conversation Shana had disappeared. Leaving them to discuss their strategies with the queen and the sacred sister, I went in search for her. I found her in a room pulsating with so much power it gave me a headache. Shana was kneeling in the middle of it, praying, lost in a trance.
The others came in after me, and when Miranda entered the room, Shana screamed. The Dragoon Spirit flew off her neck and practically hurled itself at Miranda, who caught it with a cry of surprise and anger.
After another discussion, they agreed that the Dragoon Spirit had chosen Miranda so she was now the Healing Dragoon in Shana's place. Shana had fainted after losing the Spirit, so she was to stay here in Deningrad while they went to get the Dragon Block Staff.
I'm staying with Shana as she rests. If anything happens, she'll need someone to defend her, and I don't feel safe leaving her here. She's just too fragile. I feel terrible, knowing that somehow this is my fault but not knowing exactly how. Shana is like a daughter to me, and now she is being controlled by powers beyond her understanding. It's just not fair.
They leave for the Forest tomorrow. Lloyd goes with them because he can pull rank on the Winglies if need be. Though I don't really trust the others to be very courteous to him if I'm not there. But I can't leave Shana by herself. I just hope they put their mission in front of their anger.
Rose came to talk to me a few minutes ago. Shana was still unconscious, and Rose looked at her in pity for a moment before turning to me. "There are some question I want to ask you." She said. "You, Dart, and Luanna were the only survivors of Neet eighteen years ago, right?"
"As far as I know, yeah."
"You all saw the Moon Child, right?"
"More or less, yeah."
"And you all seemed to receive gifts because of that. Dart is a fine warrior, beyond that of human nature, almost. Luanna has her second sight. And you…you seem to have an intuition similar to Luanna's. You knew I was the Black Monster on the ship before I even told you. You recognized the Dragon Buster and were able to save Lavitz because of your quick thinking. The survivors who had seen the Moon Child came away with gifts of some sort. I don't understand it. Why did it happen? Why was I not told of this side effect?"
Her words blurred together in my mind so that I nearly passed out before regaining my calm. "I don't know either. I didn't even think about it that way. I just thought that Dart was special, and that he had a good master, a man in Seles who taught him sword. And my "intuition" as you put it, it's just been with me for a while. I don't even know that it's a power. I just thought it was good thinking. And Luanna I haven't even met extensively until today. She was a child in Neet, but I didn't know her that well. She was a playful child, and never showed any signs of a gift. I don't understand what you mean either."
Rose frowned. "The Moon Child is supposed to make the ones who saw it into their slaves. But…the three of you have seen it and in twenty years nothing has happened to you. I don't get it. Is my purpose wrong then? Have I been killing for nothing?"
It was then that I realized she was lost and confused. "I don't understand the full intensity of what would happen. But I do know this. It's better for one town to be obliterated every one hundred and eight years than for even the possibility of the entire world being destroyed. If you stop, maybe the prophecy will come true and maybe it won't. But do you want to take that chance, Rose?"
She shook her head and smiled at me. "Thanks. You cleared up a lot of things for me. For that I'll make sure that no one tries to kill Lloyd on the journey tomorrow." She got up to leave. "You should really try to hone that power you have. It's very interesting and can come in handy."